Ferrari boss Jean Todt gave a speech, and Frank Williams only failed
to show up because he has not traveled to China.

McLaren's Ron Dennis was not present.

Even former world champion Michael Schumacher popped in. ''With a
little faith (Peter has) done a great job,'' said the German, who
raced Sauber sportscars in the early nineties.

F1 supremo Ecclestone called Sauber, 62, 'one of F1's most dedicated
and best loved characters.'

''Of course I'm sad,'' Peter said, ''and there are many people I will
miss. I feel moved that so many people have shared this evening with
me.''

Rubens aims to be Honda boost
(GMMf1NET -- Oct.14) For the last time, Rubens Barrichello - the
quickest race driver in first and foggy Chinese practice - is having
to face Michael Schumacher as his F1 teammate.

The chirpy Brazilian, after six years loyally opposite the focus of
Ferrari's attention, is moving on for 2006.

Will Schumacher miss him?

''I don't think that's the right word,'' the German said in Shanghai.
''I don't feel like he's going anywhere far away -- he is not leaving
the sport!

''I'll probably still see him a lot in the future.''

Rubens is, though - reportedly after a run-in or two with Michael this
year - going to BAR-Honda. But 33-year-old Barrichello refused to
acknowledge that he's just going to face another similar situation at
a team this time built around lead driver Jenson Button.

''Well, they haven't won yet,'' he noted, ''so they need a plus and I
hope that is me.''

Popular Rubens says he'll be 'emotional' but 'not sad' when the
checkered flag on his career in scarlet finally ends.

''There are memories that I will keep forever,'' he smiled.

JV penalty too lenient
(GMMf1NET -- Oct.14) Juan Pablo Montoya says Jacques Villeneuve's 25
second penalty for punting him out of the Japanese grand prix at
Suzuka a week ago was too lenient.

Fernando, although he lifted the drivers' championship with two grands
prix to go, has had to face analysis' that conclude Kimi Raikkonen as
actually the quicker driver in the quickest car. Most pundits at least
give the 'iceman' Finn a 'moral victor' tag.

Raikkonen has already won more grands prix than anyone else this year,
but - still - Alonso is assertively sanguine.

''If everything stays like this,'' he said, ''I will have won only one
race less than the best car.

''But I'll still try everything to win, but not because Kimi has won
more. For me this is not so important.''

Williams to sell F1 cars
(GMMf1NET -- Oct.14) Over twenty Williams F1 cars will go under the
hammer in December, team bosses have confirmed.

At the Oxfordshire factory, cars and memorabilia from Williams'
28-year history will be sold after the collection grew 'relentlessly'
in past seasons.

Auction house Bonhams will handle the sale of Williams' 'Reserve
Collection', including Nigel Mansell cars from 1985 and 1992, Damon
Hill's title winning FW18 model, and more recent contenders driven by
Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Williams will also offer for sale memorabilia such as the damaged
suspension piece from Hill's Adelaide collision with Michael
Schumacher in 1994.

Red Bull and Franz Tost
(GMMf1NET -- Oct.14) A likely contender to lead Red Bull's rookie team
(Minardi) in 2006 has been named in the German press -- BMW man Franz
Tost.

The 'track operations manager' for BMW, and a former Ralf Schumacher
representative, is the latest guy touted for the principal role, after
former F1 winner Gerhard Berger ruled himself out of contention
earlier this week.

Berger, an Austrian and close friend of Red Bull magnate Dietrich
Mateschitz, told Autosport that he doesn't 'want to be involved' in
the company's F1 activities because its 'big motivation is marketing'
rather than success.

Rules not to blame - Schu
(GMMf1NET -- Oct.14) Michael Schumacher says both Ferrari and tire
supplier Bridgestone should share the blame for his worst ever season
in scarlet.

Interestingly, unlike other key players at Maranello including Jean
Todt and Luca di Montezemolo, the 36-year-old former champion doesn't
point the finger at the F1 rulebook.

''Even if we had been able to change the tires,'' German born
Schumacher insisted in China, ''we would have been too slow in
qualifying, and we have usually been not quick enough in the first 20
laps.

''I don't think this (single tire per race) rule would have made much
of a difference.''

Schumacher admits to some surprise that, together, Ferrari and
Bridgestone could not find a solution to the problems -- whether car,
engine or tire-(or all) related.

''If you had asked me (earlier) then I would have been confident about
finding an answer,'' Michael conceded. ''We have found some new
directions but they are taking some time to exploit.''

Schumacher admits that there were times in 2005 when being a grand
prix driver was 'not fun'.

But, on the other hand, Michael said he would gladly travel to a
twentieth grand prix next Sunday. The famously fit Ferrari driver
insists he is not tired at the end of the longest ever calendar.

''In the other direction,'' he admitted, ''I am quite glad it is
nearly finished, because at the moment I do not see any sort of quick
solution.

''If I had the prospect of some better results coming, just to fight
for the victory - not just to win, to fight - I would gladly race some
more.''

The 74-year-old billionaire - apparently with another investor or two
in tow - is now the proud owner of 'Glacier 3000', in Les Diablerets
near Gstaad, the Canadian 'Ski Press' magazine said.

The resort features state of the art air lifts and a 'stunning gourmet
mountain restaurant', the publication said, but 'ran into financial
difficulties' after a 1999 upgrade.

'Glacier 3000' is open for skiing from October to July each year.

Small crowd greets F1 action
(GMMf1NET -- Oct.14) A small crowd welcomed formula one back to China
a year after the sport debuted at the impressively vast Shanghai
venue.

A bit of fog and a few spots of rain lingered over the huge purpose
built formula one circuit on Friday morning, as the end of an era in
grand prix racing began to close.

Although the exit of V10 engines, and the departing Minardi, BAR,
Jordan and Sauber names have hogged the headlines, it's also the last
blast for 67-year-old Michelin competition director Pierre Dupasquier,
who is retiring.

On the French rubber, Giancarlo Fisichella's recent troubles persisted
in Shanghai when the Roman dumped his Renault into the gravel.

In the second practice session, Antonio Pizzonia ended up off the
track, while Jarno Trulli's troubles - in the 'b' spec Toyota - were
mechanical.

McLaren, as ever, looked like the team to beat.

''I suppose it's going to take some time for the Chinese to learn
about our sport and accept it,'' said Michael Schumacher, when asked
about the smaller crowd.

''I think what they really need is a Chinese driver.''

The latest paddock whisper, by the way, is that Minardi's new name for
2006 will be 'Toro Rosso' -- the exact Italian translation for Red
Bull.

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